the cruise of the jasper b.-第25章

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America；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。



〃Ah！　Yes？〃　　The　great　detective　went　on　with　his　masterly　summing

up。　　〃Of　course　they　got　the　money　from　the　trick　they　worked　on

Lady　Agatha。　But　at　the　time　I　thought　it　possible　that　they　had

robbed　Reginald　Maltravers　and　then　put　him　out　of　the　way。　　They

are　well…known　gunmen。



〃I　took　them　into　custody　and　determined　to　hold　them　until　such

time　as　Reginald　Maltravers　would　be　found；　or　his　fate

discovered。　　Eventually　I　brought　them　with　me　on　my　house　boat。

I　was　really　holding　them　without　due　legal　warrant；　but　I　am

forced　to　do　that；　sometimes。　　They　complained　of　lack　of

exercise；　so　I　gave　them　exercise　in　the　manner　which　you　saw　the

other　morning；　Mr。　Cleggett。



〃One　of　my　agents；　shortly　after　this；　picked　up　the　trail　of

Reginald　Maltravers　again。　　When　I　learned　that　he　was　alive　my

first　impulse　was　to　release　Dopey　Eddie　and　Izzy　the　Cat。　　But　I

learned　that　the　two　gunmen　could；　if　they　would；　give　me　a　tip

as　to　certain　of　the　activities　of　Logan　Black；　against　whom　I

have　been　collecting　evidence　for　nearly　a　year。　　So　I　kept　them

on　my　boat。



〃Reginald　Maltravers；　most　of　the　time　that　you　were　riding　about

the　country；　Lady　Agatha；　with　the　box　that　you　thought　contained

him；　was　really　following　you。　　He　would　lose　your　trail　and　find

it　again；　but　he　was　always　some　hours　behind　you。　Of　course；　he

knew　nothing　of　the　oblong　box。　　He　thought　that　you　were　running

away　from　him。　　And　all　the　time　that　Reginald　Maltravers　was

following　you；　agents　of　mine　were　following　Reginald

Maltravers。〃



〃Lady　Agatha；〃　interrupted　Cleggett；　〃was　also　being　pursued　by

Miss　Pringle　here。〃



Wilton　Barnstable　carefully　made　a　note　in　a　little　book　which　he

drew　from　his　waistcoat　pocket。　　Barton　Ward　also　made　a　note　in

a　little　book；　Watson　Bard　started　to　make　a　note；　and　then

paused；　in　fact；　Watson　Bard　did　not　complete　his　note　until　he

had　gotten　a　peep　into　the　notebook　of　Barton　Ward。　　The　notes

made；　the　three　detectives　once　more　smiled　craftily　at　each

other；　and　Wilton　Barnstable　resumed：



〃We　knew；　of　course；　that　another　lady　was　also　following　Lady

Agatha。　　But；　until　the　present　moment；　we　had　not　identified　her

with　Miss　　Pringle。　　And　I　should　not　be　at　all　surprised；　not　at

ALL　surprised；　if　still　another　person　had　been　following　Miss

Pringle。〃



〃With　what　object？〃　asked　Miss　Pringle；　looking　alarmed　at　the

idea。



〃The　motive；　my　dear　lady；　I　must　for　the　present　withhold；〃　said

Wilton　Barnstable。　　And　again　the　three　detectives　exchanged

knowing　glances。



〃Reginald　Maltravers'　pursuit　of　you；　Lady　Agatha；　led　him　to

Fairport；〃　went　on　the　great　sleuth。　　〃No　doubt　he　met　the　driver

of　the　vehicle　which　brought　you　hither；　and　learned　that　you　

and　Elmer　had　been　set　down　in　this　neighborhood；　just　as　Miss

Pringle　learned　it。　　No　doubt　it　was　well　after　dark　when　he

arrived　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Jasper　B。　　And　it　is　to　be

supposed　that；　once　out　here；　he　went　to　Morris's　road　house；

thinking　it　quite　likely　that　you　and　Elmer　would　stop　there；　as

he　had　been　tracking　you　from　road　house　to　road　house。　　Logan

Black；　knowing　that　the　authorities　were　on　his　trail；　mistook

Reginald　Maltravers　for　a　detective；　and　held　him　prisoner　at

Morris's。　　Logan　Black's　men　took　away　his　clothes　in　order　to

minimize　the　possibility　of　his　escape。〃



〃And　the　Earl　of　Claiborne's　signet　ring〃　began　Cleggett。



〃Of　course；　Reginald　Maltravers　was　wearing　it；　and　of　course

they　took　his　valuables　from　him；〃　said　Barnstable。　　〃One　of　the

ruffians　was　wearing　the　ring　as　he　approached　your　vessel　with　a

bomb。　　But；　Mr。　Cleggett；　there　are　points　about　that　bomb

explosion　which　I　do　not　understand。〃



〃Nor　I；〃　admitted　Cleggett。



〃We　will　clear　them　up　later；〃　said　the　great　detective；　smiling

benignly　at　his　thumbs；　which　he　was　revolving　slowly　about　each

other　as　he　reconstructed　the　case。



〃Later！〃　smiled　Barton　Ward。　　〃Later！〃　murmured　Watson　Bard。　

With　their　hands　clasped　over　their　stomachs；　they；　too；　benignly

twirled　their　thumbs。



〃Tonight；〃　pursued　Barnstable；　〃having　finally　got　all　the

information　I　wished　from　Dopey　Eddie　and　Izzy　the　Cat　with

regard　to　Logan　Black；　I　tossed　them　the　key　to　their　irons　and

told　them　to　unlock　themselves　and　clear　out。　　It　was　just　before

the　storm　began；　and　they　were　sitting　on　the　bank　of　the　canal

at　the　time。　　I　allowed　them　to　sit　there　in　the　evenings　and　get

the　fresh　air。



〃But　before　they　could　unlock　themselves　Reginald　Maltravers；　who

had；　we　must　suppose；　escaped　from　Morris's　through　the

carelessness　of　one　of　Logan　Black's　subordinates；　crawled　up　the

bank　of　the　canal；　which　he　had　swum；　and　made　for　the　two

gunmen；　with　the　water　dripping　from　his　eyeglass。　　He　had

recognized　them　as　the　men　who　had　dogged　and　assaulted　him；　and

every　other　idea　was　obliterated　in　his　desire　for　vengeance。



〃They　fled。　　He　pursued。　　He　caught　them；　and　they　fought。　　They

succeeded　in　dropping　one　of　the　iron　balls　on　his　footon　his

bunion　foot；　Mr。　Cleggettcrippling　him。〃



As　this　mention　of　the　bunion；　Miss　Genevive　Pringle　arose　with

dignity；　and；　flinging　a　shawl　about　her　shoulders；　left　the

cabin；　chin　in　air。　　She　did　not　vouchsafe　so　much　as　one

backward　glance　at　Cleggett　or　the　three　detectives　or　lady

Agatha　as　she　left；　but　outraged　propriety　was　expressed　in　every

line　of　her　figure。



〃H'm；〃　mused　the　detective；　flushing　slightly；　and　Watson　Bard

and　Barton　Ward　also　colored　a　little；　and　looked　hacked。　　They

glanced　furtively　at　Lady　Agatha；　to　see　if　she　too　might　be

offended。



〃Proceed；　Mr。　Barnstable；〃　she　said　a　little　impatiently。　

〃Bunions　don't　bother　me；　either　mentally　or　physically。　　I　am

familiar　with　the　idea　of　bunions。　　There　are　many　bunions　in　the

Claiborne　family。〃



〃On　his　bunion　foot；　crippling　him；〃　resumed　the　detective；

reassured。　　〃The　storm　came　up；　and　still　the　gunmen　fled；　and

still　Reginald　Maltravers　pursued。　　I　suppose；　since　you　saw　them

on　the　west　side　of　the　canal；　Mr。　Cleggett；　that　they　had　run

around　the　north　end　of　it。　　Probably；　while　you　and　Logan　Black

were　fighting；　they　were　running　up　and　down　in　the　neighborhood；

in　the　storm；　intent　only　upon　their　own　feud。〃



〃They　certainly　seemed　exhausted　when　I　saw　them；〃　said　Cleggett；

〃all　three　of　them。　　But　if　you　will　permit　me　to　say　so；　the

astuteness　with　which　you　are　reconstructing　this　case　compels　my

admiration。〃



Wilton　Barnstable　bowed；　and　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard　slightly

inclined　their　heads。



〃Your　skill；〃　said　Lady　Agatha；　〃is　equal　to　that　of　Sherlock

Holmes。〃



At　the　name　of　Sherlock　Holmes　a　shade　passed　over　the　face　of

Wilton　Barnstable。　　He　slightly　compressed　his　lips；　and　his

eyebrows　went　up　a　fraction　of　an　inch。　　This　shade　was　reflected

on　the　faces　of　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard。　　　There　was　a　moment

of　silence；　but　presently　Wilton　Barnstable　continued；　repressing

a　sigh：



〃I　thought　at　first；　Mr。　Cleggett；　that　you　were　an　ally　of　Logan

Black's；　just　as　you　believed　me　to　be　his　ally；　and　as　he

believed　you　and　me　to　be　working　together。　　It　may　interest　you

to　know　that　smuggling　has　been　one　of　his　side　lines。　　There　is；

somewhere　hereabouts；　a　cave　in　which　smuggled　goods　are　stored。　

These　coasts　have　a　sinister　history；　Mr。　Cleggett。　　It　is

possible　that　your　canal　boatI　beg　your　pardon；　your　schooner；

Mr。　Cleggettplayed　some　part　in　their　smuggling　operations。　　At

any　rate　it　is　evident　that　Logan　Black　transferred　to　the　hold

of　this　vessel　the　incriminating　evidence　against　him；　contained

in　that　oblong　box；　when　he　learned　that　my　agents　were　watching

Morris's。　　The　Jasper　B。　has　been　lying　in　her　present　position

for　a　long　time。　　In　the　event　that　a　sudden　get…away　from

Morris's　became　necessary；　it　was　an　advantage　to　Logan　Black　to

be　able　to　leave　without　being　hampered　with　this　matter。　　No

one；　for　many　years；　had　paid　any　attention　to　the　Jasper　B。；

with　the　exception　of　the　old　truck　farmer；　Abernethy；　who　used

sometimes　to　fish　from　her　deck；　and〃



〃Truck　farmer！〃　cried　Cleggett。　　〃Abernethy？〃



〃Truck　farmer；〃　repeated　Wilton　Barnstable。



〃Is　not　Abernethy　an　old　sea　captain？〃　asked　Cleggett。



〃Why；　no；　I　believe　not；〃　said　Barnstable。　　〃At　least　I　never

heard　so。　　He　is　well　known　as　a　small　truck　gardener　in　this

neighborhood。　　It　is　true　that　he　comes　of　a　seafaring

familyindeed；　it　is　his　boast。　　But；　in　a　community　where

nearly　everyone　knows　a　little　about　boats；　I　believe　that

Abernethy　is　remarkable　for　an　indisposition　to　venture　far　from

shore。〃



〃I　can　scarcely　believe　it；〃　breathed　Cleggett。



〃He　does　not　understand　boats；〃　said　Barnstable。　〃That　is　the

reason；　I　take　it；　why　he　has　always　fished　in　the　canal　from　the

deck　of　the　Jasper　B。　〃



〃Abernethy　is　a　gallant　man；〃　said　Cleggett；　rather　sternly。　

〃And　even　although　he　may　have　had　little　actual　seafaring

experience；　the　instinct　is　in　him！　　The　inherited　love　of　a

nautical　life　has　been　latent　in　him　all　along。　　And　at　the　first

opportunity　it　has　come　out。　　He　has　shown　his　mettle　aboard　the

Jasper　B。　〃



〃I　do　not　doubt　it；　if　you　insist　upon　it；〃　said　Wilton

Barnstable；　politely。　　And　from　revolving　his　thumbs　benignly

towards　himself　he　began　to　revolve　them　urbanely　from　himself。　

The　reversal　was　imitated　at　once　by　Barton　Ward；　but　Watson　Bard

was　slower　in　putting　this　new　coup　into　execution。



〃The　resemblance　between　the　two　oblong　boxes　evidently　fooled

Logan　Black；〃　continued　Barnstable；　〃and　his　men　stole　the　wrong

one。　　but　he　knows　by　this　time　that　his　plan　to　get　the　box　has

failed。〃



〃He　knows　it？〃　said　Cleggett。



〃From　the　bank　of　the　canal　he　witnessed　our　capture　of　the　box；

and　of　the　two　men　who　were　making　off　with　it。　　After　you　had

beaten　off　his　assault　upon　the　ship；　he　turned　his　attention　to

the　canal；　to　see　if　the　men　whom　he　had　assigned　to　the　job　of

creeping　over　the　stern　of　the　Jasper　B。　had　by　any　chance

succeeded　in　purloining　the　box。　　He　was　alone；　but　he　attempted

to　come　to　the　assistance　of　his　two　followers　even　as　we　made

them　prisoners。　　In　fact；　we　exchanged　shots。〃



The　great　detective　made　little　of　the　danger　he　had　encountered。



Indeed；　his　smile　became　one　of　amusement　as　he　removed　his　coat；

rolled　up　his　shirt　sleeves；　and　exhibited　a　bandaged　wound　in

the　fleshy　part　of　his　arm。



〃It　is　only　a　slight　wound；〃　he　said；　beaming　on　it　as　if　wounds

were　quite　delightful　affairs；　〃and　scarcely　inconveniences　me。〃



Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard；　with　their　sleeves　rolled　up；　were

also　smiling　placidly　and　indulgently　at　bandages　about　their

left　arms。　　Whether　there　were　real　wounds　beneath　their　bandages

also；　Cleg